Options are on agenda after brewpub idea for old church falls through

Published 7:18 pm, Thursday, February 7, 2013

ALBANY — Ten Broeck Triangle neighbors have scheduled a community meeting to discuss the future of St. Joseph's Church after the apparent collapse of plans to open a brewery, bar and restaurant in the landmark 152-year-old building.

That announcement follows news earlier this week that the partners behind Ravens Head Brewing Co. have reached a deal to instead buy the former Cohoes Armory.

That leaves the future of St. Joseph's, which has been owned by the nonprofit Historic Albany Foundation for nearly a decade, in doubt.

League President Mimi O'Neill said the group plans for form a Task Force Committee for St. Joseph's consisting of elected officials, neighbors, real estate experts and the Preservation League of New York to vet possible future uses for the building.

O'Neill said the contentious dispute over the brewery won't stop neighbors from now working with Historic Albany to devise a plan that works for all sides.

"All of us spoke in good faith from our different positions for what we thought was the best outcome for the church," O'Neill said in an interview this week. "It's time to lay down our hard feelings and our animosity and work together for the betterment of the church and our neighborhood."

O'Neill said the neighborhood group floated the idea of a task force even before learning of Ravens Head's deal in Cohoes.

One possibility is that Historic Albany could transfer ownership of the long-vacant church back to the city, which seized it through eminent domain from a private owner in 2003, if it can't find someone with a viable plan to re-use it.

After a decade and about $1 million invested in stabilizing the building, Historic Albany had thought it had found that partner in Ravens Head, which planned to leave the church's Gothic Revival exterior intact. But neighbors protested the introduction of an alcohol-selling business to the neighborhood and voiced fears about a resulting parking crunch.

"If Historic Albany Foundation remains the owner, we will be happy to work with them," O'Neill said. "Our position is we need to face the future. We need to work together. We will work with whoever holds the ownership of the church."

Earlier this week, Historic Albany President William Brandow said his organization would also be willing to work with neighbors on a solution, but he also noted that Historic Albany already had a re-use committee and tried to form a friends-of group in 2011.

That friends-of group was part of a plan to turn the building back over to the city, but that plan petered out when the friends-of group failed to attract enough volunteers.

"Let's not fool ourselves that that hasn't been happening," Brandow said, adding that Historic Albany has not formally discussed handing the property back to the city since 2010.

The key, Brandow said, is finding a buyer with a plan that is acceptable to neighbors and economically viable in the 17,500-square-foot building.

"That's the problem," he said. "We've talked to dozens and dozens of people. It's just that you get a sentence or two in and the interest drops off dramatically."